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Nord Stream 2 “wrong scapegoat” – energy minister

Handelsblatt

The Russian-German natural gas pipeline Nord Stream 2, currently under construction in the Baltic Sea, is being wrongly blamed for existing energy policy issues, economy and energy minister Peter Altmaier told business daily Handelsblatt in an interview. The minister argued that Ukraine’s fears of losing its status as a gas transit country, and charges that the pipeline would increase Germany’s dependence on Russian gas are unfounded. He said Europe had many “alternative sources” of gas supply, such as liquefied natural gas (LNG). Altmaier stressed that the government is pushing ahead with support for a new German LNG terminal and said he will meet US LNG exporting companies in February to discuss possible locations for the project. Nord Stream 2has been the subject of heated debate for years. The project, scheduled for completion in late 2019, would allow additional Russian gas to flow directly to Germany. Proponents argue the pipeline is a commercial investment key to Europe's supply security, while critics object to Nord Stream 2 on environmental, geopolitical and security grounds.